Strategic Leader – Data & Analytics, Associate Director

EAB; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

EAB is seeking a Strategic Leader – Data and Analytics, Associate Director, to serve as a trusted advisor for higher education institutions. You will translate institutional priorities into data strategies, guide change management, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to maximize value from Edify and related analytics.

Based in DC or Richmond, VA, with travel as needed. The role requires deep knowledge of higher education data, strong executive communication, and the ability to drive

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; 5+ years in higher education data or analytics field.
• Master’s degree in related field is a plus.
• Strong problem solving, communication, and change-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary strategic partner to university leaders, understanding priorities and data needs.
• Translate priorities into actionable data, analytics, and reporting initiatives.
• Lead organizational change, engagement strategies, and governance for adoption of data solutions.
• Collaborate with IT, data teams, and leadership to align technology with data strategy.
• Identify opportunities for additional EAB services and capabilities.
• Present best practices and educate partners through meetings and events.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Data analysis

Executive communication

Change management

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree in higher education administration

Tools

Data warehouses

Reporting tools

Dashboards

Enterprise systems

Job description

About EAB

At EAB , our mission is to make education smarter and our communities stronger. We work with more than 2,800 institutions to drive transformative change through data-driven insights and best-in-class capabilities. From kindergarten to college to career, EAB partners with leaders and practitioners to accelerate progress and drive results across enrollment, student success, institutional strategy, data analytics, and advancement. We work with each partner differently, tailoring our portfolio of research, technology, and marketing and enrollment solutions to meet the unique needs of every leadership team, as well as the students and employees they serve.

About EAB

At EAB , our mission is to make education smarter and our communities stronger. We work with more than 2,800 institutions to drive transformative change through data-driven insights and best-in-class capabilities. From kindergarten to college to career, EAB partners with leaders and practitioners to accelerate progress and drive results across enrollment, student success, institutional strategy, data analytics, and advancement. We work with each partner differently, tailoring our portfolio of research, technology, and marketing and enrollment solutions to meet the unique needs of every leadership team, as well as the the students and employees they serve.

At EAB, we serve not only our partner institutions but each other—that\'s why we are always working to make sure our employees love their jobs and are invested in their communities. See how we\'ve been recognized for this dedication to our employees by checking out our recent awards .

For more information, visit our Careers page.

The Role In Brief

Strategic Leader – Data and Analytics, Associate Director

The Strategic Leader (SL) is a strategic advisor to higher education institutions using EAB’s Data and Analytics technologies. This role is designed for individuals who understand how colleges and universities use data to inform institutional strategy, improve decision-making, measure outcomes, and drive organizational change.

Successful candidates will bring meaningful experience working within or alongside higher education, ideally in Institutional Research, Institutional Effectiveness, institutional analytics, data strategy, or a related function. They understand both the opportunities and challenges institutions face when attempting to make data more accessible, trusted, and actionable across campus.

As the primary strategic partner for institutions leveraging Edify, EAB’s data and analytics platform, the SL helps institutional leaders translate their priorities into data, analytics, and organizational strategies. This requires more than technical knowledge. SLs must be able to navigate institutional culture, engage stakeholders across functional and leadership levels, facilitate difficult conversations, and help institutions change how they use data.

In This Role, The SL Will

Serve as a Higher Education Data Advisor: Build trusted relationships with institutional leaders by bringing a strong understanding of higher education data, reporting, analytics, and decision-making practices.

Translate Institutional Priorities into Data Strategy: Understand an institution’s strategic goals, data environment, reporting needs, and organizational challenges, then help leaders identify practical opportunities to strengthen their use of data.

Guide Institutional Change: Help institutions move from technology implementation to meaningful adoption by developing stakeholder engagement, governance, communication, and change management strategies.

Connect Data to Institutional Outcomes: Help partners use data to answer important institutional questions related to areas such as enrollment, student success, academic performance, financial sustainability, operational effectiveness, and institutional strategy.

Drive Adoption and Value: Ensure institutions are realizing measurable value from EAB’s technology and services by establishing priorities, monitoring progress, identifying barriers, and recommending next steps.

Navigate Complex Stakeholder Environments: Work effectively with institutional executives, Institutional Research and Institutional Effectiveness leaders, IT and data teams, functional leaders, analysts, and other campus stakeholders.

Identify Opportunities for Greater Impact: Recognize opportunities for additional services, capabilities, training, or EAB solutions that can advance an institution’s strategic priorities.

Represent the Voice of the Institution: Collaborate across EAB’s Customer Success, Product, Engineering, Services, and Sales teams to advocate for institutional needs and inform the continued evolution of our solutions.

The ideal candidate combines deep knowledge of higher education with strong data fluency, consultative problem-solving, executive communication, and change leadership. They are comfortable discussing both the technical realities of institutional data and the organizational dynamics that determine whether data initiatives ultimately succeed.

This position may be based in Washington, DC or Richmond, VA

Primary Responsibilities

Institutional Data Strategy and Advisory

• Serve as the primary strategic partner to university and community college leaders, developing a deep understanding of each institution’s priorities, data environment, and organizational needs.
• Build trusted relationships with senior leaders, Institutional Research and Institutional Effectiveness teams, IT and data leaders, and other key campus stakeholders.
• Help institutions translate strategic priorities and business challenges into actionable data, analytics, and reporting initiatives.
• Advise partners on opportunities to strengthen data access, reporting, analytics, governance, and institutional decision-making.
• Identify and prioritize consulting and professional services engagements that advance institutional goals and drive value from Edify.
• Partner with EAB technical and data teams to align technology implementation and services with each institution’s broader data strategy.

Driving Institutional Impact and Change

• Guide institutions through the organizational change required to increase adoption and effective use of data, analytics, and EAB technologies.
• Develop stakeholder engagement strategies that build alignment, address barriers to adoption, and establish sustainable data practices across the institution.
• Lead strategic discussions, planning sessions, and executive conversations with institutional sponsors, data leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Leverage platform usage, institutional priorities, and partner feedback to proactively recommend strategies, deliverables, and solutions that increase institutional impact.
• Present best practices and facilitate educational sessions through partner meetings, webinars, regional meetings, and national events.
• Bring the voice of institutional leaders and practitioners back to EAB Product and Engineering teams to inform the continued evolution of our technology and services.

Driving Partnership Value and Growth

• Establish a clear understanding of each institution’s desired outcomes and help partners demonstrate the value and impact of their investment in EAB’s Data and Analytics solutions.
• Monitor partner engagement, adoption, and satisfaction, proactively identifying risks and opportunities to increase value.
• Build a compelling narrative of realized and future value to support long-term partnership and renewal readiness.
• Identify opportunities where additional EAB capabilities, services, or solutions can advance institutional priorities.
• Coordinate EAB resources to address partner needs, resolve challenges, and maintain alignment on priorities and next steps.
• Partner with Sales and other EAB teams to support renewal and expansion conversations, as appropriate.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• 5+ years of professional experience in higher education data, analytics, Institutional Research, Institutional Effectiveness, or a closely related field.
• Experience translating institutional data, reporting, or analysis into clear recommendations for campus leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex initiatives, facilitate executive-level discussions, and build alignment across diverse institutional stakeholders.
• Strong consultative problem-solving skills, with demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders and support organizational change in complex higher education environments.
• Willingness to travel 10-25% domestically and a valid driver’s license.

Ideal Qualifications

• Master’s degree in higher education administration, Institutional Research, analytics, or a related field.
• Direct experience in Institutional Research, Institutional Effectiveness, institutional analytics, decision support, or a related higher education data function.
• Strong understanding of higher education data and reporting, with experience in areas such as assessment, accreditation, external reporting, data governance, analytics, or decision support.
• Experience with data warehouses, reporting tools, dashboards, or enterprise higher education systems.
• Ability to connect data strategy and analytics work to institutional outcomes and strategic priorities.
• Commitment to embracing a continual learning environment and contributing to a dynamic and welcoming culture of fairness, authenticity, and belonging in support of EAB’s mission, values, and aspiration.

To that end, EAB is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we make employment decisions on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. We don’t discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law.